The storage or disposal of nuclear waste is one of the major concerns faced
by governments, communities, and environmentalists. This radioactive waste,
as a source of ionising radiation, represents a potential hazard to human
health and must be carefully managed so as to reduce the associated risks to
acceptable levels for both now and in the future. The migration of radioactive
waste (radionuclides) in the environment is controlled by many factors, such
as the interaction of the radionuclides with soil.
Humic acid (plant material) has substantial chelating properties for metal ions
and can therefore considerably affect the migration behaviour of radionuclides
in a soil layer. To manage the radioactive waste effectively, it is important to
know the presence and interaction of humic acid with radionuclides released
from radioactive waste repositories. The aim of this study is therefore to
investigate the influence of humic acid on the distribution coefficients of
radionuclides found in both Thabana and Vaalputs waste repositories.
The technique employed in this study is based on a laboratory batch method
to study the influence of humic acid on the distribution coefficients of (131)^I and (137)^Cs on soil samples from Thabana and Vallputs waste repositories at
different concentrations. The results of this study show that (131)^I and (137)^Cs do
not form any complexes with humic acid and therefore the presence of humic
acid does not have a significant effect on the migration of (131)^I and (137)^Cs. / MSc (ARST) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2005
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/11424 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Sekoko, Israel |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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